Rajdoot 350
Encyclopedia
Escorts group
The Escorts Group1 is one of the highly diversified engineering conglomerates located in Faridabad, Haryana, India. Its turnover is US$461.9 Million per annum.-Tractors:...
from 1983 to 1990.
It was a licenced copy of the Yamaha RD350
Yamaha RD350
The RD350 was a motorcycle produced by Yamaha. It evolved from the piston port , front drum-braked, 5 speed Yamaha 350 cc "R5"....
B, modified to suit Indian conditions. Even though the production of the aircooled Yamaha RD350 had ended in Japan in the mid 1970s due to stringent emissions norms, it was a technically advanced motorcycle in the Indian market in 1983. It had 7-port two stroke parallel twin engine, Yamaha's patented Torque Induction System using reed valve
Reed valve
Reed valves are a type of check valve which restrict the flow of fluids to a single direction, opening and closing under changing pressure on each face...
s, 6-speed transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
, autolube system, mechanical tachometer, 12 V electrics and 0-60 km/h in less than 4 seconds. In the interest of cost, the front disc brake of the RD350B was substituted with a 7" twin leading shoe drum brake from the Yamaha RD250.
It was primarily targeted at the Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield Motors
Royal Enfield is a motorcycle manufacturing company based in Chennai, India.-History:Royal Enfield motorcycles made in England were being sold in India from 1949. In 1955, the Indian government looked for a suitable motorcycle for its police and army, for patrolling the country's border. The Bullet...
Bullet
Royal Enfield Bullet
The Royal Enfield Bullet was originally a British overhead valve single cylinder 4-stroke motorcycle made by Royal Enfield in Redditch, West Midlands, but now produced by Royal Enfield Motors, the successor to the British company, at Chennai , Tamil Nadu in India...
350 which was the biggest capacity motorbike in India at the time. The Yezdi Roadking
Yezdi Roadking
The Yezdi Roadking is a motorcycle produced in India by Ideal Jawa Ltd, Mysore from 1978 to 1996. The bike was based on the CZ 250 ridden by rider Jaroslav Falta to the runner-up spot in the 1974 motocross world championship. It was sold under the brand name Yezdi. The bike won several Indian...
250 was another competitor. However, the Rajdoot 350 was not a commercial success due to its relatively high fuel consumption in a cost-conscious Indian market. High purchase price, poor availability of expensive spare parts and lack of trained service personnel did not help either. After the runaway success of its smaller stablemate Yamaha RX 100
Yamaha RX 100
The Yamaha RX100 is a 98 cc two-stroke single-cylinder air-cooled motorcycle that was manufactured between 1985 and 1996. The only changes in its eleven year production history were the pin striping and an upgrade to a 12-volt electrical system....
introduced in 1985, the Rajdoot 350 stayed in production as a flagship model, and production ended in 1990. The last bikes were reported to be sold in 1991.
HT and LT Models
The Yamaha RD350B was substantially modified before it was productionised in India as the Rajdoot 350. The engine was detuned, the carburettors were rejetted for fuel economy rather than performance, the front disc brake was substituted for a cheaper 180 mm TLS drum brake, the instruments were copies of the older Yamaha R5, the alternator had less output and the tank graphics were re-badged "Rajdoot" and not "Yamaha". The only Yamaha branding was on either side of the engine. The early bikes had high Japanese part content, but Escorts India indigenised most of the parts in less than three years.Rajdoot 350 was made in two models - 'High Torque (HT)' and 'Low Torque (LT)'.
- 'High Torque (HT)'
- The HT was made from 1983 to 1985. It made a respectable 30.5bhp@6750 rpm, detuned from 39 bhp by restricting the exhaust ports of the Yamaha RD350B. The carburetors had smaller jets. Most HTs had the left engine cover casting marked "Made in Japan". The mufflers had flatter ends. HT exhausts made the raucous "RD growl" compared to the more toned-down LT beat.
- 'Low Torque (LT)'
- LT was made from 1985 to 1989. It only made 27 bhp since the exhaust ports were restricted even further. CarburetorCarburetorA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s were jetted small in the interest of fuel economy. All LTs had the left engine cover marked "Made in India". The mufflers had slightly tapered or conical ends. The build quality was poorer than that of the HT models. The only notable upgrades to the LT were Kokusan Denki electronic ignition in 1988 and slightly stiffer front forks in 1989.